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You have probably seen articles in the press and on TV this past week (notably on the Victoria Derbyshire Programme) about the dangers of vaginal mesh implants which are used to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and incontinence. The headlines can be scary so how much of a problem is this and can you get it treated in any other way? At Holisticare we know there is another way!

The NHS estimates that 1 in 10 women will have surgery for POP by the time they’re 80. Some women with a pelvic organ prolapse don’t have any symptoms at all but others find that sex is uncomfortable, they may have problems urinating or be incontinent, or they may feel that there is a bulge or something coming down or out of the vagina. The organs which may be out of place include the bowel, uterus, bladder, rectum and vagina.

It’s estimated that 45% of women will have some level of urinary incontinence and there are increasing numbers of incontinence brands and products. The two most common types of incontinence are stress, when you leak when you cough, laugh or jump, and urge, when you have a sudden need to pee and can’t hold it. POP and incontinence share some causes such as being overweight, getting older, previous pelvic surgery, childbirth, and constipation. Conditions which weaken your body tissues such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can increase your risk.

Thousands of women in the UK have had vaginal mesh implants intended to act as a supporting structure like a hammock for the pelvic organs. Most of these have been successful with no problems being reported, however 800 women are now taking legal action against the NHS and manufacturers and the number of patients coming forward is rising. They have been left with intense pain and discomfort with their daily activities badly affected. In the most severe cases the mesh has either disintegrated or moved, slicing its way into the bladder, or right through the vaginal wall and women have been left in severe pain, unable to work, have sex or walk properly, are doubly incontinent with nerve damage and depression.

Some of these operations could have been avoided. Myofascial Release is a very effective technique that can be used to treat and manage the symptoms of uterine prolapse – one of the common causes of incontinence in women, and often treated by implanting a mesh. The difference with this approach is that we find and treat the cause of the problem rather than just treating the symptoms. The therapist assesses the patient’s whole body to find out where the strain causing the prolapses is coming from – often pelvic misalignment and old scar tissue.

Incontinence is commonly blamed on weak pelvic floor muscles, but there is no point to trying to strengthen a tight, twisted muscle – it just won’t happen! Myofascial Release allows the muscles to start from the correct position so they can work much more effectively and then can strengthen. The bladder itself can also be under strain, making it more prone to infection, sensitivity and leakage, so by releasing the tissues in the area around the bladder, the body can fight infection more effectively and the muscle in the bladder wall can work properly.
One of our patients, Wendy, came to us earlier this year on an Intensive Treatment Programme with these issues. This is what she said after her treatment, “I have come away with a new pelvic floor/vagina! …There have been “concrete” or “physical” changes to my condition of POP – walking proof having my vagina working again, or should I say pelvic floor.”